December 2025
December weather was weird. It started very cold, got warm for Christmas, and then winter came back. We have been enjoying bulking season. Jet and I have been learning how to lift weights. So far, I haven’t managed to get him as sore as me. We took a trip to NM for Christmas. It’s always fun to get together with my family. The kids love the chaos with all the cousins.
Each year, I pick my top 5 Fiction and Top 5 Non-Fiction books, as well as my favorite book of the year. There were many to pick from this year. Here’s what I came up with:
Top 5 Non-Fiction Books of 2025
Anyway, here are the books I finished and my reviews of them:
Fiction Books
A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck
This is not a cheerful book as one might guess from the title. At least it is also short. The main character dies and is sent to a hell that is a library. The library is based on the Library of Babel, which is supposed to have every possible book ever written. The rules of hell say that the narrator can be free of hell if he finds the book with the exact story of his life in the library. The size of the library is unfathomable, but it is calculated to be 7.16^1,297,369 light-years wide and deep. The point of the book seems to be to explore just how foreign the concept of eternity is to us. The library is introduced, then the first week goes by, then the first 102 years, then 1145 years, and finally, the narrator falls into the great abyss. In this particular hell, if you die, you are restored to normal the next morning. There are food kiosks that provide any type of food requested. Other people wander the stacks. Everyone shares the same fate/mission- to find the book with their life in the limitless stacks. If you are brave enough to read this book, I suggest also reading The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis to balance out the perspectives. Thanks, Nichole, for recommending this interesting book.
This is for older readers pondering eternity.
(Rated R, Score 6/10, ebook, 110p.)
This is the first book in the Tom Reece historical fiction thriller series. Tom Reece is James Reese’s father. James Reece is the main character in the Terminal List series. Tom is a Navy Seal attached to MACV-SOG operating in Vietnam. The book is set in the late 1960s during the Tet Offensive. The book is filled with military action, spy games, political intrigue, and questions about how we should act as humans, warriors, and countries. Tom Reece faces challenges from the Vietnamese, the jungle, the Russians, and the CIA. He also has an unusual obsession with watches and tactical gear. I’m sure there will be more books to come because the plot points the author took the time to set up in the James Reece books are still floating out there waiting for resolution. This was an interesting book, but not as good as the previous series from my view. Maybe it would appeal more to someone with memories of the related historical events.
This is for historical fiction readers and action junkies.
(Rated R, Score 7/10, audiobook read by Ray Porter, 15:25)
This is a fictional account of the story of Caleb, son of Jephunneh. He recounts his travels to Egypt, his development as a warrior, and ultimately his transition from Egyptian royalty to a Hebrew wanderer. This is a story written to give the biblical character some human/warrior color. It’s a story of quick reflexes and daring battles. Caleb becomes part of the elite Egyptian Red Scorpions regiment and wins the Gold of Honor from Pharaoh himself after saving him from certain capture and death. The story also shows a different perspective of the ten plagues that Yahweh used to crush the Egyptians before freeing the Hebrews and leading them to the promised land. I love this story. I love the grit and the way it makes the Bible stories easier to understand and imagine. I love the faith Caleb has. I love the mystery of Yahweh, God of the Mountains.
This is for warriors, artists, and wanderers.
(Rated PG/PG-13 (violence), Score 9/10, audiobook read by Brian Hutchinson, Richard Ferrone, 8:52)
Non-Fiction Books
This is Marketing by Seth Godin
I don’t know much about marketing, except what I have managed to pick up tangentially over the years. So since this book is a re-imagining of marketing, I didn’t have to relearn or adjust much. The author asserts that marketing is really about creating change. Marketing is about helping a specific group of people see a need and act to improve in some way. The author emphasizes several times that marketing can’t be for everyone, so it is important to know who your audience is, what makes them “us”, and how to engage with them effectively. The best way to connect is with empathy and strong storytelling. Later in the book, Godin describes the difference between mass marketing strategies like brand marketing, versus targeted marketing, which should turn directly into an interaction with a customer and drive revenue. Marketers often misunderstand the basic difference and waste all their marketing money by running ads in the wrong context. The book wraps up with some discussion about sustainability and ethics around marketing. I enjoyed learning some new ideas and seeing some existing ideas more clearly. For me, marketing will be selling my ideas more effectively using empathy, connection, and better explaining how I am trying to help people solve their problems.
This is for anyone trying to connect with an audience to drive change.
(Rated PG, Score 7/10, audiobook read by the author, 7:02)
Marksmanship Fundamentals by Pseudonym Sniper
I found this little book on sale on Audible for like $1.85. It is short and direct. It covers the basics of shooting. How to be more precise and accurate (and the difference). Many factors influence accuracy and precision, such as environment, ammunition, firearm, and many more. The author covers some of the basic firing positions, weapon supports, recoil reduction, dry firing, live firing, setup, grip, and target options. The author addresses some nuances about shooting from military applications, law enforcement, and competition shooting. I enjoyed the simplicity and common sense of the instructions in this book. I’ll probably go looking for a hard copy to help Jet learn some fundamentals now that he has some firepower.
This is for all levels of shooters.
(Rated PG, Score 8/10, audiobook read by Joe Farinacci, 2:21)
Preview/Currently Reading-
The Strength of the Few by James Islington
Preservation by Seth Ring (Battle Mage Farmer #6)
I track my books in a database called Goodreads. It might help manage your reading lists.
Final Thoughts-
My book goal for 2025 was 100. I didn’t quite make it. Goodreads says I completed 96, so that counts as an A I think. I spent a lot of time doing other things this year, like watching soccer practice, climbing, and playing video games. We all have to make choices about how we spend our time. Inaction is a choice. Reading is a choice. Rest is a choice. Being present and kind is a choice. We are the sum of our choices. I love that we can change who we are every day, just by making better (or worse) choices.
The turn of the year is a natural time for reflection, goal setting, and improvement ideas. Here are some of the goals I’m pondering:
~ 10,000 squats -> stronger legs
~ Read 100 books -> stronger ideas
~ Cook 50 meals-> better nutrition, stronger body, happier wife
~ Hike the La Luz trail to complete my knee recovery journey.
I would love to hear about how you approach goal setting/resolutions each year, and I would love to know if you pick a word or two to focus on each year.
I have found that my words pick me. My words for 2025 were Joy and Resilience. These are dangerous words because they invite sorrow and hardship. I’ve learned so much this year about being calm, present, kind, and choosing joy. I learned more this year than ever before about grief, pain, loss, and trauma. We have not fully recovered, but I feel like I am much better equipped to walk those paths again. “No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear.” “Fear is the mind-killer.” I don’t have words for 2026 yet. I hope they are amazing.
Thanks for adventuring with me.
Joshua
P.S. I’m looking to grow and improve this little experiment. If you have benefited from it and would like to support my ability to buy better books or run with some other ideas I have been working on, here is your opportunity. You could think of it as an investment or buying me a coffee.